Nightmare Christmas, Rotten Rascal

Our Christmas experience this year has been....every parents nightmare.
My all to honest 7 year old has, unfortunately, not been receptive to learning good manners :(
It's one of those events that I can't decide weather I really should share?
But I will, for your enjoyment, and in hopes of releasing my inner turmoil.
KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It all began on Christmas Eve.

After receiving 2 platters of cookies from some dear friends a third friend stopped by with more homemade goodies. We are so blessed! Because I was cleaning my bathroom I failed to here the knock at the door. My 7 year old answered the call and came screaming back to the bathroom, platter in tow......more cookies Mom! I met him with a smile, appreciative of the delicious treats, asking him who delivered when he continued with....I told them to keep'em we had enough but she said oh no you keep them, have somemore".

I'm pretty sure I was blue in the face when I asked, you said what........, oh Daws ee!

The next incident was that night as we unwrapped gifts with Grandma. He chose the biggest, grandest gift in his pile of 3 to unwrap first. After shredding the paper and discovering it was a paper jam guitar he exclaimed, these things are junk they don't work.

Seriously, whose kid is this? Had I not been concerned about breaking the guitar in front of Grandma I would have jerked it out of his 7 year old hands and beat him over the head with it!

It's not over yet........... I know, I should have thrown him in a snow pile and left him there. Had I known, Oh if I had known..........

Now, here we are hosting Christmas. After unwrapping an autographed cap he states I already have one of these......I think the gasps that filled the room slightly thumped at his manner radar. He quickly followed with a but it's not signed so thanks.

Better but not great. I'm scanning the room.....Is there a rug big enough to crawl under around here?

Our Christmas adventure with the little rascal is not over yet. I wish!!! Please....you Mother's out there. Tell my I haven't failed at my job and his behavior is not indicative of my parenting.

The last scene played out when he opened an itunes gift card and loudly and boldly informs the giver, Itunes! I don't use these.

Okay! Okay I say! Is Christmas over yet? I'm POSITIVE this kid of mine deserves nothing but coal! What a rotten rascal!!!

What does it mean?

What does it mean when you use nearly an entire can of pledge in one week?

What does it mean when you honestly have to stop and think, really think about when you last deep cleaned your house?

What does it mean when you step outside to wash a few windows and wonder if this is the first time you've washed windows since they were put in. What year was that?

I'm pretty sure it means my New Years Resolution should be to clean more frequently next year.

Ya right :D I can already see that one being broken.

Happy cleaning, baking, cooking, wrapping or whatever it is you are doing these last few days before Christmas.

What do I know?

Quickly, because I really don't have time to be at the computer, I wanted to blog about the sweetness of my 10 year old. He's smitten with a classmate. Honestly, he has been for a good year now. Well, in the last month, these two 4th graders, have decided they are now dating.

When I was a 4th grader kids were going out. Well, NO, that was 6th grade. When I was in fourth grade I was still asking for cabbage patch dolls and boys were gross:) Times have changed:(

Anyway, after an afternoon of errands in Ottumwa I arrived home, pulled in the garage, and was greeted my wonderful hubby who was sporting a humongous grin. He opened my car door and whispered in my ear that when he walked into the house our 10 year old was fixing a small gift bag of chocolates and candy canes for his special friend.

I immediately went into a coughing fit, the news taking my breath away, but concluded it was a really sweet gesture that HE HAD DONE COMPLETELY ON HIS OWN.

I'm proud of his thoughtfulness but left doubting my own predictions. I really, really, really, really thought he was the guy who would only care about sports and that girls would fall farther down on his important list until he was older-much older!

What do I know?

I know I would have LOVED to have been in the classroom today when MY 10 year old sweetie, handed his special friend, threw at her, dropped at her feet, that small little gift bag full of chocolates and candy canes. I'm thinking that both of their faces were shining the color of Rudolph's nose?

old fashioned

This Sunday, we ended our evening with some old fashioned Christmas caroling. A good size group, from the Troy Church, divided into 3 groups to sing and deliver gift bags around the town of Troy. It was an awesome evening strolling through the snow dusted yards and listening to the kiddos sing about the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I'm positive the small gesture warmed many hearts.

On Saturday, the boys and their cousin Baylee entertained themselves with some old fashioned outdoor play. Two of my boys, especially, have a strong passion for ice skating......a dying winter pastime, unfortunately. I vividly remember the mystical feeling of ice skating on Grandma Freda's pond as a young child. And, the time Grandpa Mart took his snow blower to the pond so my younger brother & I had a path for our skates to glide on.....oh the love of grandparents!

If I didn't thank you then, THANKS BUNCHES, Grandpa!

This weekend we also enjoyed a few hours playing old fashioned board games. The hit game for the weekend was the game of LIFE. (The early 80's addition, from my childhood). We always fill the room with laughter as we see who will land the highest salary to collect each pay day, how many kids your little car will hold and who will become the millionaire.

It was truly an awesome old fashioned weekend!

Santa

Every year I pull out my collection of Santa photos with the boys sitting on Santas lap. I proudly display them, all of them.

I'm still a sucker for the magic of Christmas.

Because we've had photos taken with some really bad Santas the boys are typically full of comments and questions. These words easily roll right off my tongue to calm their inquisitive minds,

"that big jolly guy can't be everywhere! Mr. Claus has many jobs for his elves this time of year. Besides building toys, Santa sends out some of his favorite elves to dress up and pretend to BE Santa Claus. Which one do you think is the REAL Santa? "

The pointed fingers begin indicationg :D

This year, as I pulled out each precious photo from the box, smiled, and dusted'er off Dawson flew at me with words I was none to prepared for.

He looked at this photo and hollered,

Dad, IS THIS YOU? Sure looks like YOU! Look at Santas eyebrows! I think it's YOU!

As if on cue, I gave the proper, light hearted, chuckle and out rolled those famous words right off my tongue.....

"that big jolly guy can't be everywhere! Mr. Claus has many jobs for his elves this time of year. Besides building toys, Santa sends out some of his favorite elves to dress up and pretend to BE Santa Claus" Which one do you think is the real Santa?"

After much deliberation Dawson has deemed,"this Santa is REAL!........ Maaaaaybe?"

paint projects

Currently the Davis Herd is drowning in paint projects.

Our first painting project is an update to our family room. Friday night we dove in, ripping off trim, pulling up carpet(disgusting) and painting walls. We're excited for the new look but wonder why we do these projects when we are feeling crunched for time.....I am hosting the Davis Christmas in 19 days and have yet to have one Christmas decoration out.

My second painting project has to be kept a secret. BUT i'm dying to share it with you. I have high hopes for how it will turn out. It's going to be given as a gift, so until Dec. 25 you will have to wonder. I will do my best to not let the cat out of the bag......it's killing me.

Stay tuned for pics of the the family room transformation.

I went out of my box and put an exciting color on the walls.

museum

During our return travels home from OK we took the time to stop by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage History Museum in Oklahoma City. Although I wasn't real sure of the interest my herd would have in a museum, I knew if they were ever to enjoy a museum it would most likely be a cowboy one. It was spectacular.

Some of the museums highlights were seeing memorabilia from the bull riding legend Lane Frost. They boys couldn't believe that was really HIS shirt and HIS belt. They had to plug in the movie on the way home to confirm it.

Other interesting exhibits were the history of rodeo room, with pictures of cowboys in front of Madison Square Gardens in NYC during the Rodeo World Series, dating back to 1934. Trophy buckles that were sponsored by Levi & Strauss-not Wrangler.

I didn't know that.

The women in rodeo hall with women like Tillie Baldwin, a woman bronc rider and bulldogger! Seriously, a woman bulldogger!

I was amazed and pretty sure I would never want to cross that tough bird!

The kids were also fascinated looking at $37,000 saddles!

Did ya read that...$37,000 saddle! Whoa, would you really ever ride it if ya gave that much?

Could you really call yourself a cowboy with a saddle like that...

seems to me kindof pretty boyish.

Okay, okay, I'm struggling with why a 37,000 saddle would exist?

Even more fascinating was when I got jumped by 3 security guards for taking flash photos of the exquisite saddle masterpieces.....

In my defense the map was hard to understand-rooms were designated: yes photos-no photos-photos with flash ok-photos ok BUT without flash.....

.geezzzzzz how about a simple yes OR no?
The kids also really enjoyed walking the dirt roads of an ole' western town completey resembilant to the era. There was a livery stable to board your horse at when you arrived into town. There was a blacksmith shop, bank, one room school, church, general store, saloon and right across from the saloon a jail. With a jail cell hand made from old wagon wheels.

Do you recognize the 2 jail birds below?